Man accused of sexually assaulting child

Day Staff Writer

Publication: The Day

Groton –– A local man accused of raping a child while he lived in Old Lyme three years ago was charged Friday with sexually assaulting a 3-year-old child here, police said.

Police charged Robert T. Beemer of 305 Michelle Lane, Apartment 101, with first-degree sexual assault, fourth-degree sexual assault and two counts of risk of injury to a minor. He also was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police, led by youth division officer Joseph Nesdill, went to Beemer's home Thursday afternoon shortly after receiving a complaint that he had sexually assaulted a child on two occasions in recent weeks, police Lt. Mark Karasevicz said. Beemer knew the victim, police said.

Beemer was initially brought into police custody on the drug charges, Karasevicz said. He was arrested Friday on the sexual assault charges while appearing in New London Superior Court.

Beemer returned from Chicago last year after he was arrested on charges of raping a child in Old Lyme while he lived there in 1997. The status of that case could not be learned late Friday.

At the time of the 1999 arrest, state police said Beemer was a suspect in numerous sex crimes involving children from 1992 to 1997. Police caught up to him a year after one of his alleged victims spoke to a youth counselor in Old Lyme.

During that five-year period, Beemer lived in at least five states and in Europe, state police have said.

Beemer was held Friday at the Corrigan Correctional Institution on at least $150,000 bail.
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